Linkey Ward 6, Pakyong to boycott coming Panchayati Elections: Here’s why.
The people of Ward No- 6 Linkey, under 21 Linkey Parkha GP unit in Gnathang-Machong constituency, Pakyong District, have unanimously decided that they will abstain from filing nominations and demanded the concerned department change the seat reservation pattern.
Annoyed by the illogical seat reservation, people of Linkey ward (ward 6) under Pakyong district have decided not to file any nomination for the Panchayat and to boycott the ward Panchayat election until and unless rectification is made against the apparent blunder made by the concerned department. The people allege that the majority of the voters belonged to the ST community and that the reservations were not favourable to their demography.
The people have said that they are even ready to orchestrate the black flag protest and not to vote if their desired seat {Tribal (BL)} isn’t reserved.
“Democracy is of the people, not of bureaucrats. In a democracy the mandate should be of the people and not these offices,” Rinzing Dorjee Bhutia, a senior citizen from the ward said.
He added, “our main grievance is that in our ward Linkey majority of people are belonging to Scheduled Tribe specifically BL which is more than 90 per cent but as per the notification this time there is an OBC seat reserved, which is no way possible and even the OBC members of our village want a candidate from BL or Tribal and we have already passed a resolution and we have submitted to Secretary Rural Development Department CS Rao but he said it cannot be undone as Model Code of Conduct is already in place”.
“I am almost 75, and I have seen many elections but this is not done, and if this (mistake) is not rectified then we are even ready to raise the black flag, we will even gherao offices but we want a tribal seat for our ward”, concluded the elderly.
After many representatives of the community in Lingkey along with the patronage of members from Sikkimey Nagarik Samaj and more supporters of their cause went to the Pakyong DAC and submitted their resolution of boycotting the elections and submitting no nominations for candidature was filed.
““We are not satisfied with the roster reservation as our ward has 97 per cent Scheduled Tribes and there are no able persons from other communities for the post of panchayat and hence nobody from the ward filed nomination,” the locals said.
The resolution submitted to Secretary read:
“The self-explanatory Resolution’ adopted unanimously by the voters of Ward No- 6 Linkeyunder 21 Linkey Parkha GP unit in Gnathang-Machong constituency, East Sikkim, during an emergency meeting conducted due to the adoption of an illegal and unconstitutional method in allotting seat reservation formula, particularly in our ward No-6 Linkey, by which misunderstanding and animosity amongst peace-loving people of the village are in intensification and village loving harmony is under threat.
Hence, due to the above circumstances, the meeting unanimously passed the resolution to boycott the ward Panchayat election till the correction is made against the blunder made by the SEC and correction is done in the public interest as per the safeguard and protection guaranteed under the provision of Article 371F of our Constitution of India. Let peace prevail in this sensitive border state of Sikkim. Thanking you in anticipation.”
“The resolution was passed unanimously after discussing the matter with the community, there are around 90 houses in the ward and atleast 80 of them have signed with consent, even the OBC leaders who were about to file their nominations have supported us and did not file the nominations,” a representative from Linkey ward told Sikkim Chronicle.
Below is a gallery of all related documents and the resolution itself:
A total of 429951 voters cast votes for the panchayat election. The election will be held in 122 Territorial Constituency (Zilla Panchayat), 191 Gram Panchayat Unit, 1147 wards with 207708 male and 202243 female votes. Election Commission Decides To Conduct Eco-Friendly & Digitized General Panchayat Elections.”
“In connection with the seat reservation for Panchayat election at Linkey ward No.6 under Gnathang Machong constituency, there are rumours that the Area Incharge must have done it. I have hardcopy of the reservation list sent to Commissioner of State Election and Director of Panchayat Raj as evidence. Any body can come and see it. I was also shocked to see the drastic changes made. The above two Deptts should be answerable.” Tshering Bhutia, the area in charge said via his facebook post.
Sonam Gyatso Sherpa, State Co-ordinator of SNS, who was also present as a patron-in-arms of the people in Linkey, told Sikkim Chronicle that this was a mockery of democracy, the way the roster had been set up and the way the bureaucrats were adamant on the needlessness of COIs in the nomination filing process.
Sherpa said that “this was illegal and is a blatant mockery of democracy and article 371 F.”
“We are Sikkimese and this is now a fight not for any reservation of representatives but a fight for the very existence of Sikkimese and the safety of 371 F.”
Here is him and the representatives of Linkey speaking to Sikkim Chronicle:
video
“We will take this matter forward and keep pressing this issue until and unless justice prevails,” Sherpa said.
